If you are a follower of Hot Mama’s Belize on Facebook, you’ve probably seen a recent post stating we are implementing 5s in the factory. Unless you are familiar with organization methodologies, you are probably wondering ‘just what is 5s?’. 5s is something we are taking very seriously at Hot Mama’s Belize.
5S is the name of a workplace organization methodology created by Hiroyuki Hirano that uses a list of five Japanese words which are seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke to improve productivity, plant maintenance, quality, health, and safety. Translated into English, these principles are Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.
The 5S Principles In Practice
Sort: Clearing the work area
Any work area should only have the items needed to perform the work in the area. All other items should be cleared (sorted out) from the work area.
Straighten: Designate Locations
Everything in the work area should have a place and everything should be in its place.
Shine: Cleanliness & workplace appearance
Not only should the work area be clear, it should also be clean. Cleanliness involves housekeeping efforts, improving the appearance of the work area, and even more importantly, preventive housekeeping – keeping the work area from getting dirty, rather than just cleaning it up after it becomes dirty.
Standardize: Everyone doing things the same way
Everyone in the work area and in the organization must be involved in the 5S effort, creating best practices and then getting everyone to “copy” those best practices the same way, everywhere, and every time. Work area layouts and storage techniques should be standardized wherever possible.
Sustain: Maintaining the 5S’s
The 5S’s involve a culture change. And to achieve a culture change, it has to be ingrained into the organization – by everyone at all levels in the organization.
Benefits of 5s
Improved Productivity - A key aspect of Hirano’s organisation approach is that the often-needed items are stored in the most accessible location and correct adoption of the standardization approach means that they are returned to the correct location after use.
Improved Plant Maintenance - Workers ‘own’ a piece of the factory and are responsible for keeping it clean and tidy, taking ownership for highlighting potential problems before they have an impact on performance.
Quality - An inappropriate factory layout can result, for example, in product damaged through excessive movement or through using non-standard processes.
Health & Safety - Clear pathways between work tables and storage racks can minimise accidents, as can properly swept floors.
Next time you stop in Hot Mama’s Belize for a tour or to shop in the Hot Shoppe take a look to see if you see the 5s’s in practice!
RECIPE 1:
